The Southern Ocean (SO) is believed to have a strong influence on global climate, due to its key role in regulating the storage and transport of heat, freshwater and carbon dioxide throughout the world’s oceans. Spanning a broad range of latitudes, this open channel provides a unique oceanic bridge between the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean basins and has a central influence on the ice reservoir of the Southern Hemisphere. While the majority of previous studies focused on how changes in atmospheric winds can influence circulation patterns in the SO, this study explores the potential feedback from the ocean to the atmosphere over the SO.

To isolate the role of oceanic variability on Southern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation and teleconnections, we performed a series of experiments with the ACCESS1.0 model in which the variability in the SO ([40°S - 65°S]) is suppressed by nudging the SST to the model monthly mean climatology.   

We then examine the impact on mid-latitude atmospheric variability, such as changes in the Southern Annular Mode and in the position and strength of the subtropical jet, as well as on tropical modes of variability such as El Niño Southern Oscillation. Additional experiments are carried out to determine the relative role of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic basins across the SO latitudes.